Award for Southtown community initiative
Wednesday 1st August 2012A £10,000 award will help a community-led project based in a residential property in Southtown, Great Yarmouth, to tackle problem drinking and anti-social behaviour in the community.
The Den Life Changes project is one of ten areas to receive funding from the Baroness Newlove Alcohol Fund. It is run entirely by local residents affectionately known as the “neighbourhood mums” who offer sessions from the house on everything from cooking, budgeting, running a home and parenting through to using the network to offer support on more complex issues such as depression, drug and alcohol misuse, behaviour issues including anti-social behaviour and domestic violence.
Baroness Newlove, the Government’s Champion for Active, Safer Communities said: “These ten areas have impressed me with a local plan including community activists, police, health workers and the retail trade and I want other communities facing similar problems to learn from their innovative example.”
The Den’s award of £10,000 will be used to develop a community-based mentoring and support programme, run from the community house on Lichfield Road. Community leaders, voluntary and public sector organisations will be invited to work with the Den so that learning can be shared face-to-face, ideas discussed and groups from other areas inspired to get their own community-led scheme off the ground in their own areas.
The Den has been supported from the beginning by GYBC’s Make it Happen neighbourhood programme, operating in Cobholm Southtown and Halfway House to support a range of community led initiatives.
Further information from Make it Happen on 01493 418292, or by emailing neighbourhood manager Holly Notcutt on hnotcutt@great-yarmouth.gov.uk
